The Puyallup Post | Volume 23 | Issue 4 | January 2018|

Puyallup campus President bids farewell

President Marty Cavalluzzi addresses the audience at his goodbye event in the Arts and Allied Health Building on Jan. 22. In his speech, Cavalluzzi called Pierce College Puyallup, “a class act,” saying it was “an absolute honor” to be the president. His last day at Pierce was Jan. 31.

See pages 8-9 for the story.

Net neutrality: Student leader hopes to make free What the repeal means, feminine hygiene products state law how it impacts Pierce

Nyadeng Mal & Daniel Pollock

Reporter and Editor-in-Chief The internet was frenzied.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai became a voodoo doll for concerned social media users. He popped up in social media feeds, dressed like Santa Claus and described as Hitler or eating popcorn with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Celebrities urged their fans to contact state officials and Twitter users bid Ajit Pai farewell to followers. The internet was dying—or so some thought.

Pai released his plan to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations in late November and birthed a seeming internet revolution.

The FCC voted 3-2 Dec. 14 to dismantle the roles regulating online content.

Youtuber PewDiePie released a video about the repeal, describing Pai as “the most hated man on the internet.” Tweets poured

forth—Pai responded to some in a “mean tweets” sketch from the Independent Journal Review— and citizens volunteered for service in the “battle for the net.”

But much of the protest has stemmed from misconceptions, according to the FCC. For many, net neutrality is a complex topic to understand.

Pierce College Chief Information Officer Mike Stocke jokingly said the depth of the topic “made his head hurt.” The FCC released a fact vs. myth sheet, hoping to calm fears.

A common phrase seen around the internet in the days following the vote said the rollbacks would cause “the end of the internet as we know it.” In reality, the repeal is returning internet regulations to those put in place during the Clinton administration.

Net neutrality was first enacted under the Obama administration in 2015. A 313-page document listing the rules was publicly released two weeks after the FCC had passed it into law. Pai released his proposal three weeks Continued on page 13

Nyadeng Mal Reporter The Office of Student Life has formulated a plan on how to make feminine hygiene free and readily available for Pierce College students. During the process, Nathalie Nabass, student government legislative senator, thought it would be a better idea to make feminine hygiene free for all Washington state community college students.

Pierce College Puyallup currently provides free feminine hygiene products for students, but Nabass saw a flaw within the system: No one knows where they are. She says access is inconvenient.

“A lot of students actually don’t even know that we provide free feminine hygiene,” Nabass said.

Some places to access tampons and pads are in the women’s restroom where there are dispensers. But the feminine hygiene products provided in the gender neutral restrooms, cost 25 cents.

Nabass says the dispensers in the restrooms aren’t convenient.

Student leader Nathalie Nabass poses in front of the food pantry in the College Center. Beside free food, the pantry also provides free feminine hygiene products, such as tampons. Nyadeng Mal photo.

“Who carries change? No one,” Nabass said.

The college has two locations where students have access to free feminine hygiene products.

Those locations are in the food pantry in the Connections

Café and the Campus Safety office in the Gaspard Administration Building.

Nabass is concerned that these locations are also inconvenient for students. If a fundContinued on page 4

LETTERS Letter to the Editor

I propose a counter article to be written about the article on "Professor Bias" featured in your last edition (Vol. 23 Issue 3, “Professor Bias causes student concern�).

I propose that the article is subjected of the happenings of students using the powers they hold as students of the district in order to punish and subject their teachers to false accusations by reporting false happenings to newspapers and the district in order to gain the identity of ‘the victim.’ Many of the students in the class of the professor in question (Randall Martin) have outstanding reviews of his teaching and stating his opinion in a kindly manner.

So, when this article was published, many of them became angry of this accusation and the fact that your interviewers did not subjugate Professor Martin’s side

on this.

They also put forward the fact of the quote taken from the student which states, "He said, 'I think you should change your topic because it sounds like right now you're bashing white people,’" was something that Professor Martin would have never stated, and in my opinion the state in wording of the quote seems very unlike that of a college English professor.

So in conclusion, and by the wants of the people and students all of whom support Professor Martin, we ask for a response/counter article to be written about the crude use of student powers in falsely reporting harassment and racism in order to "punish" the teacher for giving a grade that, in the student’s opinion, was not right, to be written. —Kaitlyn Mallory Student

Letter from the Editor I am taking an Introduction to Philosophy class this quarter; I encourage all students to take this class. The discussions make you play with your brain like silly putty, comparing your opinions against others’. It has caused me to think much on the subject of truth.

Is truth relative? Is it based on our perceptions, upbringing and culture? Or is truth absolute?

These are heavy topics, and worth considering.

As you may notice, there are several opinion articles in this issue. During the break, our staff each took time to write an opinion article as a training exercise.

We set specific guidelines: the article had to be factual and based on evidence, and we each had to take time to research our topic.

There is a diverse spectrum of opinions, beliefs and ideologies in our newsroom. And we often discuss tempestuous topics with civility and respect. That’s the

way it should be. That’s what the Founding Fathers meant by freedom of speech.

It is good and healthy to hear beliefs different from our own.

After considering the reasonings and logic, our belief will either change or strengthen.

I hope you will read each of these opinion pieces in the framework of your own beliefs, compare the authors’ arguments against your own and seek the truth.

This issue features a large article on net neutrality. Beginning with this article, The Post will begin to cover more national and global news, always relating it back to our campus.

The net neutrality debate is heated and confusing, I hope this article offers clarity.

On social media, The Post has some wonderful series planned for our accounts this quarter: a ‘Humans of New York’ style photo series featuring Pierce stu-

dents, and an ‘Overheard L.A.’type series which highlights the random, funny and surprising things heard around campus and in class.

Maybe one of your quotes will be featured. I encourage you to follow along.

Also, we’re hiring. If you are interested in writing, photography or graphic design and want to get paid for it, email The Post’s adviser, Teresa Josten at tjosten@pierce.ctc.edu.

While The Post isn’t simple work, it’s meaningful and always changing and exciting and diverse. The skills gained in our newsroom are applicable to any workplace.

It truly is a life-changing experience and I encourage all students—whether or not they plan to pursue journalism as a career—to consider employment in our newsroom. —Daniel Pollock Editor-in-Chief

Correction

Vol. 23 Issue 3, “Swart’s mission for truth�

Need career or school advice?

Use this QR code to hear Bret‘s insight as a faculty counselor advisor.

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Daniel Pollock

Quintessa Waud

Dana Montevideo

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Nyadeng Mal

Sydnee Smith

Damien Bamford

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CAMPUS LIFE

Perfect passing rate for Pierce nursing students

James McCraw Reporter Pierce College nursing program students had the distinction of being the only school in the state of Washington with a 100 percent passing rate for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurses Exam last year. And this year, the nursing program has yet again completed the exam with a 100 percent passing rate.

The pass or fail exam determines if nursing students have the capable critical thinking skills and the appropriate application skills needed in a healthcare workplace, using the nursing knowledge they learned in college.

Pierce nursing students complete 120 to 160 hours of preceptorship in a hospital during their sixth quarter of instruction, which is part of the eligibility process in order to take the exam post graduation. The nursing program also uses leadership classes and professional portfolio workshops to begin the preparation process for the exam.

Instructors use this time to teach the students how to create and manage a professional portfolio as well as time to prepare for the NCLEX. The school hires an instructor from the Kaplan company to come and assist with the testing preparation.

The students take three or four proctored miniature examinations during the sixth quarter to see if they are properly learning their skills.

The test, which can take up to six hours, is set in a controlled, secure environment. Due to the high number of questions—which can be as low as 75 or as high as 265—insures that no two tests are the same but they all follow the same format.

Nursing Program Director Ronda Durano said that if a student isn’t meeting the higher level question criteria, the test will continue until the system decides the student is done.

The Kaplan testing website said the exam uses the idea of meeting client’s needs and divides the test into

The Pierce College nursing graduating class of 2017. Many of the nursing graduates have already completed their residency and are independently practicing medicine. Photo courtesy Bebhinn Horrigan, nursing program coordinator. twelve different knowledge categories.

NCLEX questions are organized in four major Client Needs categories. Successful knowledge of all these categories is necessary in order to pass the exam.

The first Client Needs category, safe and effective care environment, includes two concepts: management of care and safety and infection control.

The second needs category is health promotion and maintenance.

The third category is psychosocial integrity, and the final category is physiological integrity. This category includes four concepts: basic care and comfort, pharmacological and parenteral therapies, reduction of risk potential and physiological adaptation.

“NCLEX wants to know that (the students) can

think and that they’re safe,” Durano said.

The first-attempt pass rate is what the accreditation body looks at, in order to look at the quality of the students and the teachings.

Durano said that most students keep in touch to let their former instructors know about the good news but Durano mentioned that there is a website that enables people to look up who is licensed around the United States.

“In the long run, really our biggest concern is getting students and new nurses out there that are ready to work and are safe to practice,” Durano said, “It’s definitely beneficial to them to pass the first time because then they don’t have to pay to retake the test.”

Doorstops The problems with the College disappearing Center’s gender-neutral bathroom from campus

Dana Montevideo Managing Editor The handicap and gender-neutral bathroom in the College Center dining commons, adjacent to the stairwell, had a long-lasting issue. The door would take an unusually long time to shut after opening, creating an awkward situation for the occupant.

After pressing the operational handicap button, it took the door 30 seconds to shut. There wasn’t much anyone could do for that time, other than to just stand there. And wait.

As soon as Daniel Timmons, building and grounds manager, heard of the problem, he and his team sprang into action. There is an Americans with Disability Act standard for how long the door must stay open, which they were able to get down to the minimum.

“And then someone else approached us, actually when we were working on that and said that they wanted to just be able to open the door, just using the handle,” Timmons said.

They thought they were solving the problem there, Timmons said, but this wasn’t the only issue that has arisen from this unruly door. During the time of construction, someone

Dan Timmons and his team got to work when they realized the handle to the downstairs gender neutral bathroom in the CTR didn’t work. Timmons thinks the restroom used to be a closet. Dana Montevideo photo.

said they wanted to be able to open the door with a handle, not just using the ADA push plate button.

The CTR building was built about 13 years ago and Timmons suspects the restroom used to operate as a storage closet.

If this is true, it would be logical that the handle would open from the

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inside, as many closets at Pierce College lock automatically when shut.

The reason it may have seemed that the bathroom had been sectioned off for a substantial amount of time is because Timmons needed to order a mortise lock, a hardware used to operate the handle, from the manufacturing company.

Most manufacturers don’t just have these hardware products sitting on a shelf and they need to be specially made, Timmons said.

Timmons was able to address two major problems, the time the door stayed open and the handle, but the mortise lock and the function of the ADA push plate button don’t work together. For the time being, the push plate doesn’t work.

“That function is just completely done, which seems to be what was bothering everybody anyway,” Timmons said.

Timmons and his team will continue looking into how to make the button work again, and is hoping to find a way to make the mortise lock and the button compatible.

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Sydnee Smith Reporter A doorstop thief has possibly been lurking in the shadows of the Pierce College Puyallup hallways as a high number of doorstops have disappeared from several buildings on campus.

Professors are now being forced to keep their doors open with trash cans or chairs, causing wear and tear on more expensive items.

Professors have been advised to keep their doorstops under safe watch and keeping, even locking them in the classroom.

Biology Professor Joseph Linda Gulbransen Cates-Carney decided to cut himself a few doorstops at home with wood he had from other projects.

The Gaspard Administration Building has lost the most doorstops. Most classes in the Admin building automatically lock, causing more doorstops to be used and subsequently kicked outside the classroom when no one is using the room.

At minimum, a few dozen have been lost campus wide, Linda Gulbransen, program coordinator at Pierce College Puyallup, reports.

“We’ve thought about it, we’ve laughed about it,” Gulbransen said. “We just say someone's got a really great collection of doorstops somewhere and maybe they felt they needed it more than we needed it.”

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CAMPUS LIFE Office of Student Life hires four more student leaders

Sydnee Smith Reporter Four positions have been filled at the Office of Student Life. The new additions include a student issues and service coordinator, student advocacy senator, clubs coordinator and graphic designer.

“We hire all types of students,” Kelsie Nabass, student engagement specialist, said. “We even have international students this year.”

Jaspreet Basanti decided to apply to the OSL after being involved in her high school student government and landed the social issues and service coordinator position.

Basanti planned an event titled “I’m not for sale” on Jan. 29 about the growing rate of sex trafficking and the increase of luring online. Her second event will be on Feb. 27, a poetry slam about social issues.

Phuong Do is a new clubs coordinator. Do is a first year student at Pierce and is finishing up her high school career as an International student.

With dreams of a business degree, Do thought the OSL matched with her passion for planning events.

“I just really wanted to have a feel of working because I’ve never had a job before,” Do said. “This is a really life changing experience for me.”

Do is currently working on planning a movie night for French club, all students are welcome to attend.

Suleiman Limamu has been hired as student advocacy senator. Limamu describes the OSL as a huge family and would encourage any student to work there.

“In the OSL, it's not like you’re co-workers, like these guys are just family now,” Limamu said.

Limamu decided to apply and join the OSL because he wanted to be involved in what's going on at Pierce and on campus. The main thing Limamu wants to work on is having the food pantry always stocked for students.

Valerie Wegley is another hire at the OSL as graphic designer. Wegley was looking for a job that would be a creative outlet and she's always been interested in seeking out leadership possibilities, so she found a home at the OSL. “I feel like the people here are so interesting and it's great to have new friends,” Wegley said. “After just getting here I don’t know many of the people here, so I’m excited to have a bunch of new friends.”

Currently, Wegley has been finishing the promos for the February OSL events. She is also working on the cover of the spring calendar.

As a first year student Wegley expressed her desire to stay at the OSL for as long as she attends Pierce.

“I think a lot of students come to Pierce and they’re reluctant to get involved, they don’t know how much works it's gonna be, what's the time constraint, are they good enough, like do they have a shot at getting hired,” Sean Cooke, director of student life, said.

“People don’t apply because they feel like they’re not gonna make it. We’ve had people think they can’t

Valerie Wegley, the new graphic designer, at her desk in the OSL office. Sydnee Smith Photo.

The new social issues and service coordinator, Jaspreet Basanti at her desk. Sydnee Smith Photo.

Phuong Do working in the OSL office as the new clubs coordinator.

Sydnee Smith photo.

Working at his desk, Suleiman Limamu, the new student advocacy senator. Sydnee Smith Photo.

apply because they’re Running Start students.”

The hiring process was reopened in fall quarter because a full staff hadn’t been hired during the spring or summer.

After submission, all applications are reviewed by a committee of student leaders and students at Pierce.

Applications are then scored to determine who will get an interview; the committee tries to give inter-

HYGIENE

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ing plan is developed and approved, Nabass wants to start a basket system; feminine hygiene products will be held in a basket by the sinks in the restrooms. The plan is to have baskets in all female and gender-neutral restrooms.

“Not only will they be free but they will just be there,” Nabass said.

Nabass says it’s important to provide students

Nabass poses at her desk in the Office of Student Life. Nyadeng mal photo.

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with free feminine hygiene products.

“You don’t make people carry rolls of toilet paper around. It’s a regular bodily function. Why is it that because you’re a woman you have to carry these?”

Nabass said.

A college student could spend up to $15 to $20 a month on feminine hygiene products, depending on the individual's cycle.

Nabass not only wants Pierce College students to have free feminine hygiene products, but all community colleges to have access.

Schools and colleges across the United States have implemented free feminine hygiene products

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views to as many people as they think have a chance at the position.

The hiring process for the OSL opens in the spring of every year. A full staff is twenty people and anyone is free to apply and take a shot at a student leadership position.

into their schools. Nabass uses Illinois as an example.

The state passed a law in 2017, stating that schools must provide free feminine hygiene products. The cost is funded from state budget so institutions won’t see budget cuts, extra fees or tuition rise, which is what Nabass hopes to see in Washington State.

To accomplish her goals, Nabass has taken her idea to the state capital where she has gotten support from State Legislator Melanie Stambaugh, who drafted a bill and presented it to the legislative floor the week of Jan. 22-26.

Nabass is thrilled to have a T H E

legislator’s support.

“It’s some pretty crazy stuff, I can’t believe it’s happening,” Nabass said.

But for now, Nabass hopes to see the basket system implemented by fall 2018.

Nabass is hopeful, but realizes she can’t reach her goal alone.

In the past, the OSL has conducted postcard pledges where they collaborate with other colleges and write state officials postcards on studentfocused topics. She is considering doing a postcard pledge with other colleges to let state legislators know people care about free feminine hygiene.

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CAMPUS LIFE Rotaract club comes to Pierce College Puyallup Sydnee Smith Reporter A Rotaract club is coming to Pierce College Puyallup. Rotaract is aimed to bring together people ages 18-30 to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills and have fun through service, according to rotary.org. In communities worldwide, Rotary and Rotaract members work side by side to take action through service.

Rotary Puyallup will work with and help the Rotaract club at Pierce find volunteer opportunities in the community. Rotary is aimed towards adults while Rotaract is for college students; Rotaract needs a sponsor and Rotary Puyallup is there to help.

The club was started by Rebecca Anderson, community engagement coordinator at Fort Steilacoom. She will serve as the club adviser while Anni Huynh, a first-year International student, will serve as the president.

Huynh and Anderson met at the last Club Fest in fall quarter and realized they both had a passion for volunteer work.

Anderson knew people who worked

with Rotary Puyallup and together they decided to start a Rotaract club at Pierce.

“I really like doing volunteer work and in my country it's not a really big thing, it's not really important,” Huynh said. “I wanted to start a volunteer club so we can serve our community or I can help people to improve their leadership skills and we can share our interest to serve our community together.”

The club officially started after Club Fest on Jan. 23. The club’s first meeting was Jan. 24 and club members meet every other Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.

Rotaract club will try to invite a speaker to talk with the club every meeting.

Huynh hopes to complete two or three projects during winter quarter and add more in the spring. She also hopes to incorporate work with children and senior citizens, as those are her biggest interests.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity for everyone to show they care about society and about their community,” Huyhn said. “I think it’s a really good thing to have other people.”

Club president Anni Huynh posing with the Rotaract board at Club Fest in the CTR Dining Commons on Jan. 23. Sydnee Smith photo.

Water pong and ‘clean parties’: Greek life on campus

Quintessa Waud Online/Social Media Manager Joshua Crossen is a first-year Pierce student who is making his fraternity dreams a reality by starting the Forrority Club.

The concept started with a quip on Twitter.

“I Tweeted out ‘Let’s make a frat’,” Crossen said. “People were tapped in, they were like ‘Okay, let’s do it!”.

Crossen and his friends then took their idea to the Office of Student Life, where they quickly ran into a roadblock. There is no sorority club on campus, so Office of Student Life officials said that the club had to be gender equal.

The group decided to expand on

Crossen said.

After experiencing that atmosphere, he felt Pierce could use some Greek life energy.

The club is already planning a grand entrance at the upcoming Winter Club Fest.

They plan to play water pong, bring speakers and potentially set up lights as a Joshua Crossen way to get the Greek life atmosphere started.

Just as the idea was born from social media, that’s where the club also intends to do most of their promotion.

They plan on making a video to put on Twitter as a way to advertise.

their original idea, creating a club that is inclusive of fraternity and sorority culture, thus the term “forrority.”

The group believes that Greek life is an important social tradition that would benefit Pierce.

“We got here and there wasn’t a lot of ‘get to know you’ stuff, and we thought ‘Why don’t we throw dances or school-wide parties? Clean parties, though’,” Crossen said.

Crossen’s own fraternity experience comes from following his friends to the University of Washington and Washington State University after they graduated from high school.

“I’ve gone there and I’ve helped set up parties and social events on campus, so I’ve been around it for a while,”

“We’re really gonna hype it up...social media is a big part of it,” Crossen said. “Right now we only have one (demographic) of people, and it would be cool to get the whole school involved.”

The club has big goals for the future.

“If Winter and Spring quarter goes well, we want to bring Greek life to Pierce,” said Crossen. “It’s far out, but actually becoming an (official) frat would be really cool.”

One way to describe the club?

“It’s gonna be lit,” Crossen said.

But Greek life opportunities at Pierce are currently on hold.

The group has been placed on probation after their absence at an OSL clubs meeting.

Fororrity members play water pong in the CTR building. Quintessa Waud photo.

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FEATURE

The library ghost, not tall enough to reach the top shelf, uses a step stool to grab a book. Dana Montevideo photo.

An empty bathroom, or so it may seem. Some think Poopy Patty swings doors open on her own.

Dana Montevideo photo.

Ghosts on campus? Some think so Dana Montevideo Managing Editor She’s an older woman. Late 60s. She has short gray hair and is very thin. She wears a dress from the 1930s or 40s, of a drab color. This is how Maureen Rickertson, sergeant supervisor of Campus Safety, described the ghost she saw in the Brouillet Library Science Building at Pierce College Puyallup.

One early morning, as Rickertson approached the back door of the library, she saw a woman standing on the other side of the door. Rickertson briefly wondered why the woman was not letting her in. As soon as Rickertson bent down to unlock the door, she looked up and the woman had vanished.

Library technician John Jennings has also recounted seeing a woman in the library early one morning. He had just arrived; all the lights were off. Jennings thought he caught a glimpse of a woman through the door. The image was so clear that he had recognized it as a librarian he knew, who worked at the Fort Steilacoom campus, which was not logical to him.

“I walked in and nobody was there,” Jennings said.

Rickertson remembers a time when she and Jennings were together in the library and they heard someone pound on the library door. They both got up to investigate, to discover nobody was to be seen, but it was clear somebody had pressed the crash bar, and the door had been opened.

Campus Safety patrols the campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They spend a substantial amount of time on an empty campus, and it’s no secret that they heard strange noises at night. There have been reports of doors slamming on their own and even loud banging.

The Campus Safety office is in the Gaspard Administration building, which is where Campus Safety usually returns to throughout their evening shifts. Rickertson recalls hearing whistling on multiple accounts down the halls of the building.

“There were three officers in here. The whole place was shut down, completely closed down, and we heard whistling in the hallway to a song,” Rickertson said. “And we all stood up and went out there and there was no one around.”

Rickertson has experienced the most activity in the Admin and in the Library, but there have been curious happenings reported in all buildings on campus. Campus Safety jokes about paranormal activity in the proscenium of the Arts and Allied Health Building, referring to the spirit as the “Phantom of the Opera”.

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The old lady who has been spotted in the library sits at the library desk in the early mornings, ready to spook emplyees.

The library, AAH and Admin building are not the only Pierce locations with speculated spiritual activity.

However, Rickertson says she never felt frightened.

When she lived in Hawaii, she started experiencing extreme paranormal activity, to the point where she moved.

Later, she researched her location and discovered her house was built on a burial ground.

There have been various accounts of doors opening and closing on their own, toilets flushing randomly and the eerie darkness of the bathrooms have frequent users questioning the possibility of the supernatural inhabiting the upstairs restroom in the College Center.

“We call her Poopy Patty,” Erica Myron, diversity of equity coordinator for the Office of Student Life, said. “It’s like you feel like you’re alone, but you’re not.”

Members of the OSL often remain on campus after the usual rush of students, sometimes staying until 11 p.m.

Multiple OSL staffers had experiences with the ghost(s) in the bathroom, or Poopy Patty.

“I don’t use those bathrooms until after like 5,” Angela Madrid, clubs coordinator, said, because once it starts getting dark and everyone clears out of the school, the bathroom has a heavy aura.

Various accounts of the lights flickering, completely

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going off and not turning on in the restroom have been reported. Madrid even recalls seeing a dark figure near the back of the bathroom after attempting to turn on the sensory lights one evening.

“I remember one afternoon I went to the bathroom and stuff, I heard like footsteps in like the middle of the day.

And I’m like, ‘what in the world?’,” Madrid said. “So I did that thing you do, when you peak under the thing to see who the heck is running in the bathroom, I’m gonna like catch some feet, but no one was there.”

Another night when Madrid was using the restroom, she heard the doors shuffle. She peaked out from under the bathroom door, but saw no one there. When she was fixing her hair in the mirror, she remembers all the stall doors in the bathroom open and close at once.

A critic may argue that since the toilets are sensor activated which causes them to randomly flush, then what is setting the toilets off?

Kelsie Nabass, student engagement specialist says that, compared to other countries, Pierce toilets are filled with clean, sanitized water, that is being wasted from the constant flushing, whether it is a ghost or gust of wind.

The Guardian wrote an article featuring the “phantom flushing” phenomenon. Phantom flushing occurs when automatic toilets are sensitive or lag. This can cause the toilet to flush while someone is using it, after, before they leave the stall, and even once they leave the room.

A 2010 report claimed that after the automatic toilet was created and installed, use of water went up by 50 percent.

The amount of flushes per day could translate to hundreds of gallons of water being wasted daily.

The CTR bathroom features Kohler toilets. Although Kohler toilets are low energy, each flush uses 1.6 gallons of clean water. Considering all the students who use the toilet, this equates a lot of flushing, the mysterious flushing raises another problem.

Kohler toilets were made to fix phantom flushing. With a sensor pointing upwards, users must wave their hands to prompt the flush. This was made to minimize sensory misfire, but unfortunately hasn’t seemed to work in the case of the toilets in the CTR building above the cafeteria.

Daniel Timmons, building and grounds manager, debunked the phantom flushing. The toilets are set on a 24 hour cycle, meant to flush occasionally to clear out any debris that wasn’t caught before. This may explain the accounts of toilets flushing when no one is present.

Poopy Patty, the woman in the library and the Phantom of the Opera refused to comment on the matter.

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FEATURE Pierce student Suzana Kominovska helps a student in the tutoring center. In the center, she is known as the language tutor because she is fluent in multiple languages. Nyadeng Mal photo.

International student has a passion for languages

Nyadeng Mal Reporter Suzana Kominovska is an international student from Macedonia. After visiting Washington state and other major U.S cities such as New York, Kominovska felt Washington state was the place for her.

“I visited Washington before moving here and I fell in love. I love it here,” Kominovska said.

Kominovska is currently focusing on an associate degree. She hopes to graduate and continue her education, eventually earning a bachelor's degree in communications.

Currently Kominovska works at the tutoring center where she helps students with Math 50, Math 54 and English as a Second Language.

Most people in the tutoring center refer to her as the language tutor. Kominovska is fluent in more than four languages; she began studying French at the age of 9.

Kominovska is fluent in French, Spanish and Italian just to name a few. Kominoska believes the secret to learning a language is the mindset.

“You have to enjoy it, you have to have fun with it,” Kominovska said.

At Pierce, Kominovska enjoys the smaller classes and being able to have immediate access to professors, resources and people.

“It’s just really cozy, you get to know people better, it’s like a family,” Kominovska said.

As much as Kominovska enjoys living in Washington she has had to reduce some of her favorite activities, such as bike riding, which she also uses for transportation.

“My least favorite thing about living here are the hills here, it makes it difficult to ride my bike,” Kominovska said.

Kominovska isn’t too concerned about the hills these days.

“My new favorite thing is that I now have a car, I’m excited to get lost, learn my way around, and figure it all out,” Kominovska said.

Like many people who visit Washington state, Seattle is one of Kominovska’s favorite destinations.

Kominovska enjoys the outdoors and the solitude it provides, she likes to visit local lakes and parks. She also has a list of places she would like to visit, one being Mt. Rainer.

“I haven’t been to Mount Rainier yet, but I have to go soon,” Kominovska said.

Kominovska has been at Pierce for two years but she says she sometimes gets homesick.

“I miss my family sometimes, it’s difficult especially during the holidays but it’s okay,” Kominovska said.

In five years Kominovska hopes to travel internationally.

“I really enjoy traveling but I’m not sure what I want to do, maybe working with an international company in my home country or in the U.S.,” Kominovska said.

Nonetheless, Kominovska is focused on the present and is trying to take as many communications classes offered at Pierce as she can, helping students master new languages and exploring all that Washington has to offer.

An adult student surrounded by Running Start classmates Quintessa Waud Online/Social Media Manager Lisa Repola is an adult student at Pierce College currently in her second year of working toward her associate of arts degree.

She is back in college after doing a program similar to Running Start in California, where she attended college classes as a high school student.

“I know when I was Running Start, I took it for granted,” Repola said. “I went to college all the way up until I was 21 or 22, I graduated with half of an associate degree and just screwed around and did what I Lisa Repola wanted.”

Now as an adult who pays for her own education, things are different.

Repola says she receives all As at Pierce and is on track to graduate.

Her experience at Pierce can differ from many of the 16- to 18-year-old Running Start students she shares her classes with.

Repola says she can definitely tell a difference when a class has a high Running Start population.

She recalls that in her first year at Pierce, she took many 200-level courses where there was a majority of adult students who were there to pay attention.

“Now that I’m taking 100-level courses, it’s like 70 percent high school students who just want to make noise and screw around,” Repola said.

Years ago, Repola was one of those high school students goofing off in a college class.

“I was a Running Start student in California for two years and I only got half of a year of credits. I was just there to party and hang out,” Repola said.

She notes the novelty of having the freedom of college at such a young age.

Being able to leave class early, miss school, and being surrounded by an older population of students resulted in Repola failing over half of her classes.

Now she sees Running Start students at Pierce making similar mistakes.

“Recently, I’ve noticed it to be dis-

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tracting. A lot of Running Start students allowed the program to feel more like a just want to talk and are here just to be college campus rather than a high here, whereas the college students want school environment. to be here a little more,” Repola said.

In her program, there was a much Even though she smaller high school finds some Running “A lot of Running Start students population, which Start students dis- just want to talk and are here just she feels made the tracting, Repola classes easier to acknowledges that to be here, whereas the college focus in. And she not all of them are students want to be here a little wishes Pierce the same. would do the same. more” “There’s a mix.

After her unsucI’m not saying that cessful try at dual - Lisa Repola enrollment in Calievery single one of them isn’t paying fornia, Repola took attention...and those shouldn’t be pun- some time off to enjoy life. She credits ished for what the rest are doing,” her gap years as a catalyst for getting Repola said. her motivated to come back to school.

Her proposed solution is to make the “Because I had that time off to party, admissions process for Running Start I decided I wanted to get serious. I students a little more challenging. wanted to be somewhere good in life “When I did Running Start in Cali- and be smart. I really enjoy learning,” fornia we had to do a ten-page essay on Repola said. why we wanted to be in it, we had to Once she completes her associate prove all of our grades and transcripts degree from Pierce this year, Repola and promise that we would adhere to will continue her education in Amsterall these rules,” Repola said. dam to study cultural anthropology.

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Pierce says goodbye to President Cavalluzzi

Daniel Pollock Editor-in-Chief Administration, staff and faculty gathered to say farewell to Puyallup campus President Dr. Marty Cavalluzzi on Jan. 22 in the Arts and Allied Health Building.

Hugs and laughter abounded—and tears. Cavalluzzi jokingly said he never knew he would take part in his own eulogy.

Cavalluzzi will end his career at Pierce on Jan. 31, before taking on the president role at Olympic College.

Pierce College Chancellor Michele Johnson announced that a president search committee has been formed and a new president will be in place by July 1.

In the meantime, Dr. Jean Hernandez will serve as interim president beginning Feb. 1. Hernandez recently retired from the presidency at Edmonds Community College, where she previously worked alongside Cavalluzzi.

“I know she will hit the ground running, helping us move forward on our pathways and student success work, as well as representing us in the community,” Johnson said in an email.

Cavalluzzi began at Pierce in 2013. Reflecting on his nearly five years at the college, he says one of the highlights of his time here are the door-opening opportunities he could give students; he cites two examples: Cavalluzzi was at Men’s Wearhouse purchasing a suit when he met a Pierce student in his first quarter, an aspiring teacher. Cavalluzzi scheduled a meeting with the student and several other professors so the student could talk about what an education career looks like.

Similarly, he ran into a downcast Pierce student at Safeway. She wanted to go back to school, but didn’t have the necessary funds. Cavalluzzi gave her someone to contact and a week later, he saw her again but her demeanor was changed. The adviser Cavalluzzi suggested helped her work through her problem and she was gearing up to return the following quarter.

“It’s opening up all those doors, which is a lot of fun,” Cavalluzzi said.

Cavalluzzi saw this shared passion for student success in the Pierce faculty and administration when he applied in 2013. This dedication to students drew him to Pierce.

“Each college has its own culture,” Cavalluzzi said.

“At (Pierce) you can tell people just genuinely care about students. They really want to be here.”

Like the students Cavalluzzi describes, he too was once a community college student in need of direction.

Cavalluzzi began his higher education at Orange Coast College, a community college in Southern California. At that time, Cavalluzzi says he didn’t have a direction for his life.

“I was happy; I was working at a (logging) company; I was working in restaurants; I was having a good time; but I didn’t really know where I was going,” Cavalluzzi said.

“I think if you were to ask my parents, they wouldn’t think

A smile from Marty Cavalluzzi as he addresses the audience at his farewell event on Jan. 22. Cavalluzzi came to Pierce in 2013. Dana montevideo photo.

I was going far at all, or going anywhere.”

Five faculty at Orange Coast College changed Cavalluzzi’s outlook; he still remembers their names.

“One after another, they kept encouraging me, they saw things in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Cavalluzzi said.

Inspired by these professors, Cavalluzzi eventually began teaching at Orange County Marine Institute, but not before earning a bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University.

Cavalluzzi attended The College of William and Mary for his master’s degree and doctorate. He then worked as a faculty research assistant at Oregon State University and then at Northwest Indian College as the associate dean for science and math, after which he was dean of science and math at Seattle Central Community College.

Between these jobs, Cavalluzzi taught as an adjunct, focusing on biology, zoology, marine science and ichthyology, the branch of zoology relating to fish.

Cavalluzzi’s career turned more administrationfocused after a faculty member at Oregon State University encouraged him to take the communication, people and data-analytical skills he gained in his research and teaching jobs and apply that to administration work.

“I remember tilting my head like a little dog and going ‘huh?’ ‘What’s an administrator?’” Cavalluzzi said with a laugh.

The advice came at a good time. Cavalluzzi was tired

of writing grants for himself; his wife was also tired of him coming home smelling like formaldehyde and dead fish.

His first administration position was at Northwest Indian College. He was writing multimillion dollar grants within two weeks of getting the position.

“It was so much easier writing a grant for someone else,” Cavalluzzi said. “All of the sudden I realized, ‘This clicks. This is a lot of fun helping other people out, this isn’t all about me.’”

Johnson sees this same student-driven dedication in Cavalluzzi’s own work.

“He’s so committed to student success, he’s just committed to learning,” Johnson said.

Johnson admitted she wasn’t surprised when Cavalluzzi applied to Olympic. She says his new position will give him increased opportunities. At Olympic, Cavalluzzi will be the district CEO, while Johnson is the CEO at Pierce.

“I always actually thought Olympic College would be a good college for him,” Johnson said. “He’ll have the ability to expand and take on those new duties and responsibilities (a CEO position requires).”

Johnson says she has sought to prepare Cavalluzzi and Fort Steilacoom President Denise Yochum to move forward in their careers.

“I’m going to really miss Marty,” Johnson said. “He’s such a positive source of energy.”

In the email announcing Cavalluzzi’s acceptance, she calls Cavalluzzi, “an engaged, energetic and committed president of Pierce College Puyallup…known for his open, friendly, and supportive personality.” She describes Cavalluzzi as “a true champion of (Pierce’s) mission, student success, and professional development for all employees.”

The Olympic College Board of Trustees must have also recognized these traits in Cavalluzzi; he was selected out of a pool of 96 candidates.

“To be the one that they chose, I’m honored,” Cavalluzzi said. “I keep waking up thinking, ‘did that really happen?”’

Though excited, Cavalluzzi says it will be difficult to walk away from the Pierce community.

“I’m just going down the road, but I love it here,” Cavalluzzi said.

Cavalluzzi’s Executive Assistant Christine Boiter is sad to see the president leave. Cavalluzzi hired Boiter three years ago.

“He’s been a great mentor and the best person to work with, but I’m happy for him,” said Boiter, who is both anxious and excited as the search for a new president begins.

“The unknown is kind of scary, because I’ve been spoiled for awhile, but change is always good,” Boiter said. “I’m looking forward to it, too.”

ABOVE An emotional moment for Denise Yochum, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom campus president, as she addresses the audience.

LEFT Cavalluzzi reads the poem a college employee wrote to honor his time at Pierce.

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FEATURE

RIGHT Pierce College Chancellor Michele Johnson (left) and Cavalluzzi share a laugh.

FAR RIGHT Cavalluzzi greets a guest.

MIDDLE LEFT Johnson admires the photos of Cavalluzzi featured at the event.

MIDDLE RIGHT Garret Bown, ASPCP President, shares his memories of working with Cavalluzzi.

All photos by Dana Montevideo.

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SPORTS

SHOUTOUT

Sydnee Smith

Which team are you hoping will win the Superbowl?

Avery Suttle: “I don’t want the Patriots to win that's all I gotta say.”

From NFL.com

Kirby Skladay: “I’d like to see the Eagles do it.”

Brianna Paiva: “The Eagles. My family hates the Patriots.

Emma Thomas: “Well, I don’t like the Patriots.”

Tobi Speaker: “Probably the Patriots, I mean I don’t like them, but I like them more than the Eagles.”

Jarrod Smith: “We’re college students.

I don’t watch football.”

NFL playoffs lead Patriots, Eagles to Superbowl LIII James McCraw Reporter As the regular season wound down to an exciting close, the Seattle Seahawks’ streak of six ten win seasons, and a playoff streak dating back to 2011, came to an end. The Seahawks had the task of a one game win-or-go-home tiebreaker against the Atlanta Falcons.

If the Falcons lost and Seattle won, the Seahawks would have made the playoffs. However, neither of these scenarios panned out and the Seahawks emptied out their lockers and left Centurylink Field with an offseason of uncertainty.

Two weeks after the painful end to the season, the Seahawks let go of offensive line coach Tom Cable and offensive coach Darrell Bevell. They then followed that up with firing Kris Richard as defensive coordinator and Michael Barrow as linebackers coach. It appears that the Seahawks are cleaning house, letting go of the two lead assistant coaches on each end of the ball.

In the AFC, perennial postseason favorites, and defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers, claimed the one and two playoff seeds and got the first round bye weeks.

In the NFC, surprise teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings claimed the top seed bye weeks.

Wild card winners:

Tennessee Titans v. Kansas City Chiefs - Titans

Atlanta Falcons v. Los Angeles Rams - Falcons Buffalo Bills v. Jacksonville Jaguars - Jaguars Carolina Panthers v. New Orleans Saints - Saints

Chloe Matsunaga: “I don’t watch sports.”

Most sports fans didn’t expect to see the nine win Titans make the playoffs, let alone win their wild card game against the Chiefs. However, the other three Wild Card games were unexpected busts, excluding the fight that the Panthers put up against the Saints.

Divisional Rounds:

Atlanta Falcons v. Philadelphia Eagles - Eagles

Austin Drew: “I’d like to see the Eagles take down Tom Brady.”

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Tennessee Titans v. New England Patriots - Patriots

Jacksonville Jaguars v. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jaguars New Orleans Saints v. Minnesota Vikings - Vikings

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The Division rounds were much more exciting for sports fans. Three of the four games were decided by five or less points, with only a Patriots whomping of the Titans being the odd game out.

The Jaguars had to put up 45 points against the heavy favorite Steelers, only winning due to a last minute defensive stance. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for a Steelers’ record five touchdown passes but a costly interception and a fumble, which the Jaguars returned for a score, led to their demise.

Meanwhile, in the frigid cold of Minnesota, the Vikings became one step closer to possibly becoming the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

The Vikings led through most of their game against the Saints, but a late fourth-quarter rally by the Saints, which would lead to four lead changes in the final three minutes of the game, was capped off by a remarkable 61 yard, last second touchdown by the Vikings, keeping the dream alive for Vikings fans around the world.

Conference Championships: Eagles v. Vikings - Eagles

Jaguars v. Patriots - Patriots

Championship Sunday. The Patriots won. The Vikings didn’t. Tom Brady and the Patriots are going to their record eighth Super Bowl. Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles threw for three touchdowns and the Vikings’ defense was stunted as they were routed 38-7.

SUPER BOWL 53:

My Pick: Patriots v. Vikings Patriots win 24-21

Reality: Patriots v. Eagles

I still stand by my final prediction. Brady is the greatest quarterback ever, and even though his defense isn’t as good as previous championship years, he is too good to lose.

My 24-21 final score still stands though. There will be a lot of field goals kicked in the big game, adding to a lot of quick points by the Eagles, but the Patriots will answer with big touchdowns.

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Along with his love for children’s books, Hesketh enjoys spending time with children. He works at the Children’s Museum in Tacoma and likes sharing his book with the kids. A psychiatrist’s office will be incorporating Hesket’s book into their therapy sessions with children. Photo courtesy James Hesketh.

18, alumnus, artist, author Dana Montevideo Managing Editor Pierce College alumnus James Hesketh (‘17) brought his obsession of childhood stories to life by writing, illustrating and publishing Mean Words: A Small Story about Heavy Words, a children’s book about a young girl who suffers from back pains because she carries around mean words in her backpack all day.

“It’s so weird to like hold (the book) and look at it and see other people read it, because it’s something that’s been in my head for like three years,” Hesketh said, “It’s weird to work so long on something that people will enjoy in about five minutes.”

The title of the book encompasses the storyline, but part of Hesketh’s process was deciding what to call his story. He had Mean Words, better title TBD, but never came up with a title he liked more. Although he couldn’t find a different title, over time it became part of the story.

Although Hesketh has had this idea for many years, it only took him about six months to execute.

“I feel like stuff we want to do, we can try really hard, but sometimes we just need to wait till we’re grown up enough to do it,” Hesketh said, “Like, I really wanna open a food truck, but I know that’s something I’ll probably have to wait on.”

The longest process for Hesketh was deciding how to illustrate his protagonist.

“I spent probably a year of just doodling off and on, like probably a hundred different character designs until this just felt right, even though it’s so simple,” Hesketh said.

Hesketh started illustrating cartoons early, and his mom would write the punch lines. Art is a big part of his life.

“I feel like everyone has something they need to do, and drawing is what I need to do,” Hesketh said.

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lish a children’s book. It was his first introducdestroy me.’” Hesketh laughed. “I really value tion to literature, and has held onto that for his not being known.” whole life.

Hesketh plans to write several more books.

“I think telling a story Marley Needs to go to Jupiter by in as little words and picThursday, The First 13 Things You tures as possible is like May Find While Cleaning Your the coolest thing ever,” Closet and What to do With Them, Hesketh said. “I think the and a project he is working on people that can cut away with a friend, The Giraffe and the the slack more and more, Dinosaur, Better Title TBD. and cut away the fat, you “The Giraffe and the Dinosaur have the most basic story is a Romeo and Juliet story about in its crystal form.” prejudice and bigotry that takes Hesketh’s biggest place in prehistoric times,” Hesinspiration is children’s keth said. author James Marshall Cleaning Your Closet is an idea and his book, The Cut Hesketh has had since he was 8 The front cover of Hesketh’s book. Nadine years old, and the moment he Ups. “I feel like it’s a traves- Nabass, a fellow Pierce alum, designed the approved Mean Words to be pubfont. It is available for purchase at Barnes and lished, the whole story came to ty that he’s not seen alongside Maurice Sendak Noble and Amazon. him. and Dr. Suess,” Hesketh Marley Needs to go to Jupiter said. “His children’s books are just the greatest

by Thursday is a story about a little girl who is books of all time.” a rocket scientist and must trek through jungles, Hesketh wanted to follow in the footsteps of mountains ranges and the ocean to reach her the childhood authors he’s grown to admire, and launch site by deadline. was able to publish his book to Amazon. This is Since publishing his first book, Hesketh his first experience publishing an entire book. admits that his life has changed quite a bit. He “(Publishing) was a lot of me looking up believes the process has made him a better person.

YouTube tutorials and reading message boards “If there’s anything I’m proud of about this from like 2010 from people who have done this book, it’s not the actual book itself or the illusbefore,” Hesketh said. trations,” Hesketh said. “It’s just the fact that I 10 percent of the proceeds from book sells completed it. This has given me the motivation go to Puerto Rican disaster relief. to complete so many more things in my life.”

Hesketh says Mean Words is his trial book, Hesketh is also interested in making movies, just to get his foot in the literary door and put videos and doing stand-up around the country. out one of his stories as his first official published book. Although the book has changed his His main goal is just to make content for the life, he sometimes gets nervous with so much people that he loves to enjoy.

“Just do something. Anyone that wants to do attention. something, don’t talk about doing something, “If I am crumbling under this amount of just do something,” Hesketh said. “Do literally fame, I was like “I can never be given any real anything. Doing anything is the best.” fame, or any real recognition ever, or it will

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OPINION Media conglomeration creates fewer consumer choices Quintessa Waud Online/Social Media Manager Entertainment giant Disney shelled out $52.4 billion to purchase most of 21st Century Fox in early December. Through the deal, Disney acquires the Fox television studio, FX and National Geographic channels, as well as much of Fox’s film studio.

This adds to the properties that the high-powered entertainment company already owns, such as ABC, ESPN, Vice and Lucasfilms.

It seems that the days of independent film and television studios are over. The Disney/Fox merger leaves the film studio with only four major movie studio competitors: NBC Universal, Sony, Warner Brothers and Paramount, which are all billion dollar conglomerates in their own right.

Competition is the backbone of American capitalism. Competition breeds creativity and innovation, but it seems that Hollywood’s chronic tendency to

merge and acquire is making it obsolete.

The Writer’s Guild of America West calls consolidation a “relentless drive to eliminate competition.”

Without competition, media companies face a lack of challenges. With control of the market, there is little incentive to work to gain consumer’s attention, trust and viewership because they know there are few other choices.

All of this results in a lower quality product for consumers. Limited viewpoints, stagnation of content and higher costs are all very real possibilities in an industry with so few main players.

This not only limits what viewers see, but also their own voices and opinions. The viewpoint of an average American citizen is different than that of a billion-dollar company, and this viewpoint will be underrepresented in the media if the company that controls the media doesn’t like it. This greatly limits the ability of consumers to participate in social dis-

SAT and ACT poor indicators of student college readiness

Daniel Pollock Editor-in-Chief SAT participation has never been higher— regretfully.

According to the College Board, 1.8 million students in the class of 2017 took the standardized college readiness test in the past four years.

Sixty-three percent of high school graduates took a standardized test—SAT or ACT—in 2016. This is a dramatic rise from 2012, when the percentage was 49.

Inversely, this comes as more and more colleges are dropping required standardized testing from their applications.

According to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, at least 900 schools have opted for “test-optional” admissions, meaning students may choose whether to submit test scores with their applications.

FairTest is an advocate for removing standardized testing from schools, giving students more time for meaningful learning, rather than test prep. “(Standardized tests) do not measure creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, leadership or empathy,” the FairTest website states.

The idea of standardized testing is outdated in our diversity-driven academic system; college applicants are too varied to all be graded on the same test. The schools which have switched to test-optional could attest to this; many have seen improvements in their institutions.

Wake Forest University dropped the standardized testing requirement from admissions after the admissions committee decided scores measured income, not readiness. The university has since seen a rise in the diversity of their student body.

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George Washington University also took on the test-optional policy; they worried qualified high school students with lower test scores wouldn’t apply. The school did see a more diverse applicant pool after switching over, but it’s still unclear whether there were other factors involved.

After Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., went test optional, the U.S. News & World Report College Rankings pushed Trinity down six places—from 38 to 44 in the small college section.

A Trinity employee crunched numbers based on the report’s requirements, and the college’s score should have increased for the year. But, if a college doesn’t report at least 75 percent of student standardized test scores, U.S. News will divide the available score by 15 percent. This dropped Trinity’s so-called selectivity ranking from 43 to 73.

The Washington Post reached out to Trinity to see if this drop would affect their decision to stay test-optional.

“The academic quality of Trinity College’s student body has risen significantly since we went test-optional two years ago,” College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney wrote. “We have no intention of abandoning our path—our students are simply too good.”

The SAT was created in 1926 to standardize college application policies. The ACT was implemented in 1959 as a competitor to the SAT. Our education system has changed drastically since then.

While both tests have been revised since their births, are they still relevant in our current academic culture? Based on the results from test-optional colleges, probably not.

James McCraw Reporter As the season of giving wraps up, it’s a good time to remember that hunger is a year-long issue. According to the non-profit organization Feeding America in the year 2016, 41.2 million people in the United States live in food insecure households. In the state of Washington, 41,204,000 people struggled with hunger in 2017. 12,938,000 of those food insecure households involved children. One of every eight Washingtonians, and one out of six children in our state don’t have the means to have a balanced meal tonight.

A household classified as ‘food insecure’ has limited or uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life. Commonly, being food insecure is compared to a household that is in poverty. Because the poverty line in America is at 42 percent in 2017, this comparison is not fully unfounded.

In fact, according to Feeding America, the majority of people who are food insecure do not live in poverty, and the majority of people who

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course and therefore places limitations on the free speech of consumers.

Patricia Lancia of the Institute for Applied and Professional Ethics says that “access to the media is also important because it is in the media that the vast majority of public debate occurs...the discourse that influences the majority of society and that shapes policy occurs in the media.”

When corporate interests control this access, citizens do not get a say in the very influence and policy that affects them. In order to truly exercise freedom of speech, one’s speech must be accessible in the public sphere. And in the twenty-first century, the media is an undeniably important part of the public sphere.

When billion dollar companies with hundreds of subsidiaries are the sole gatekeepers of American media, the intentions of the media often become limited and unclear.

Is Hollywood bending over backward for China bad?

Damien Bamford Videographer The marvels of the silver screen forever changed the lives of the American middle class by creating an affordable escape for anyone in need of a twohour break from their everyday lives.

But Hollywood movies are no longer just for Americans, and that is okay.

The term ‘Made in China’ is so ubiquitous in American culture because China is the country that supplies the world. But due to the economic success that comes from supplying the world, China has a gargantuan population, at an estimated 1.38 billion people, and to accommodate that viewing audience there are now more cinema screens in China than there are in the United States.

This drastic increase in audience size is very clearly influencing Hollywood, as major summer blockbuster films are now being made to not only appeal to the American viewing public, but the Chinese as well.

Examples of this demographic tailoring can be seen in today’s blockbuster movies.

Transformers: Age of Extinction was set primarily set in Hong Kong, China and currently is the highest-grossing movie ever in China, generating $223

million in revenue within its first two weeks.

The Guillermo del Toro action film, Pacific Rim, was also set in China and portrayed a positive relation between China and the rest of the world. The videogame-based movie, Warcraft, which was considered a box office flop in the United States, has now been greenlighted for a sequel due to its extreme popularity in China.

The influence of the Chinese box office has made changes to the Hollywood landscape that seem somewhat exploitative so far, but new decisions are being made that have genuinely benefitted filmmaking as a whole.

Now movie goers are beginning to see an increase in AsianAmerican actors in Hollywood films.

The inclusion of Asian-American actor Donnie Yen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or the introduction of Rose Tico in the main series movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi are representations of the good that can come out of appealing to China.

Asian-Americans have been underrepresented in movies for far too long, so if attempting to appeal to foreign box office numbers means an increase in talented Asian American actors and actresses on screen, then so be it.

live in poverty are not food insecure.

An estimated 58 percent of food insecure individuals reside in households that earn more than 100 percent of the poverty line, and 61 percent of people living in poor households are in fact food secure.

Feeding America has also estimated that 27 percent of individuals who are considered food insecure live in households that earn incomes above 185 percent of the poverty line, making them likely ineligible for most federal nutrition assistance programs.

Households with children were more likely to be food insecure than those without children. Feeding America stated on its website that 59 percent of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the three major federal food assistance programs which are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps); the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, often called WIC. Continued on page 15

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SHOUTOUT

REPEAL

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before the Dec.14 vote, calling out the past FCC for a lack of transparency.

“The prior FCC bowed to pressure from President Obama. On a partyline vote, it imposed heavy-handed, utility-style regulations upon the internet,” Pai said in a statement announcing his plan to restore internet freedom. “(net neutrality) was a mistake. It’s depressed investment in building and expanding broadband networks and deterred innovation.”

Despite these statements, Pai didn’t have a distinct response when democratic Sen. Ed Markey asked what the repeal would fix.

“Obama-era regulations might be dampening infrastructure investments,” Pai said.

Markey didn’t seem convinced, saying “might be” wasn’t enough evidence.

Many Americans feel the same.

According to a survey by the University of Maryland, 83 percent of Americans don’t want to repeal the Obama-era regulations, four out of five Republicans agree.

But the FCC later criticized this data.

"This is a biased survey that, among other things, makes no mention of the role that the Federal Trade Commission will play in policing anti-competitive or unfair conduct by internet service providers,” the FCC said in a public statement.

ISPs will not be left to do as they please. The Federal Trade Commission will police ISP actions, as they did prior to 2015.

“The Federal Trade Commission has broad authority to police unfair, deceptive, and anticompetitive practices online and has brought more than 500 enforcement actions to protect consumers online,” the FCC stated.

Pierce’s Stocke doesn’t sound worried when he talks about how the

repeal of net neutrality will actually repeal will impact the college.

“In 2015 and prior I didn’t see harm small businesses who’ve anything that hindered (Pierce) in any moved onto online retail and e-comway, shape or form,” Stocke said. merce.”

PewDiePie had to edit his video “With Net Neutrality or without Net Neutrality, I don’t see it affecting the after publishing. He initially claimed Pai’s rollbacks would give the govway we do business at the college.”

Stocke added he hasn’t heard con- ernment more opportunities to intercerns from any other local colleges. fere with the internet, but the repeal Not all schools takes control away “With net neutrality or feel the same, from the governthough. Educators ment. without net neutrality, I don’t The internet rely heavily on free content and a see it affecting the way we will be more of a ‘free market’ withwide range of resources to teach. do business at the college.” out net neutrality, which Pai believes In an NPR news article, teachers - Mike Stocke, Pierce College will encourage the were asked how Chief Information Officer birth of more Internet Service they feel the repeal will affect them as educators, and Providers, creating more competition many felt it would hinder the creativ- between ISPs and, in turn, lower ity of their students and be harmful to prices.

Some have expressed concern that schools in low income communities.

But Pai says the rollback will the repeal will bring higher internet eventually help consumers because costs. broadband providers, such as AT&T Sharon Huitsing, a computer and Comcast, could offer a wider information systems assistant profesvariety of service options. Pai also sor at Pierce College Puyallup, likes argues that the repeal would open up the possibility of more competition more room for competition and between ISPs, but hopes internet prices won’t rise. would help small businesses thrive.

“I think of the internet as a utility, FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who voted against the you need it to live—like water,” repeal, disagrees and says the repeal Huitsing said, calling for the end of the internet divide. will do more harm than good.

Rosenworcel says repealing net One-quarter of Americans don’t neutrality could give broadband have broadband, according to Time providers the ability to slow down or Magazine. The Restoring Internet speed up internet content, stating Freedom fact sheet states the repeal there is evidence that net neutrality will promote broadband to expand in has prevented broadband providers rural America, closing the digital from blocking and slowing websites divide.

Pai has called net neutrality “mison a larger scale. guided,” and “legally flawed.” He “We have not had widespread isn’t alone.

There was an ongoing blocking and throttling online because we’ve had net neutrality pro- first amendment-centered debate tections in place,” Rosenworcel said. when the FCC released Net NeutraliUCLA professor Ramesh Srini- ty in 2015. The rules implemented vasan agrees with Commissioner during the Obama-era stated that Rosenworcel and says that “the ISPs cannot block websites or impose limits on users.

Some believed these government regulations controlled the free speech of the private corporations, but some said the ISPs would control the free speech of internet users if they censored content.

Perhaps the most common argument against the repeal is the ‘fast lane/slow lane’ premise. Some believe ISPs will charge based on internet speed, faster service will cost more. But the FCC has a clear response to this: “This didn’t happen before the Obama Administration’s 2015 heavy-handed Internet regulations,” the fact sheet read. “And it won’t happen after they are repealed.”

Some states, including Washington, have expressed concern about the repeal and drafted plans to separate themselves from the ruling after it passed. Some politicians share the concern.

As of Jan. 18, Senate Democrats An infographic commonly seen on Twitter following the repeal. The creator, Sen. Ro are one vote away from undoing Khanna, is an outspoken supporter of Net Neutrality; his graph appears to claim the Pai’s work and overruling the FCC, internet will be pricier without regulations, but, when calculated, the cost without but the bill will most likely not pass regulations is a few cents les. Courtesy Ro Khanna’s Twitter. in the house.

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Nyadeng Mal & Sydnee Smith

What do you think about the Net Neutrality repeal?

Alexia Smirnov: “I watch a lot of YouTube so I believe the internet should be free ground. The repeal is just for big business to make more money.”

Jordanna Reymundo: “I'm a little sad about it honestly. I just heard that Montana implemented its own net neutrality. You hear a lot about other states saying they're going to do the same thing, I hope WA follows that route.”

Joshua Grindel: “America is about equal opportunity and freedom.

Neutrality is equal opportunity for all, throwing it out makes us not free as we think we are. If it's based around profit there is no room for creating and opportunity.”

Stacy Randolph: “I know in my own opinion, it's not a good thing and from what I hear a lot of people agree that it's not a good thing. It just seem like big business like Comcast and AT&T want to make more money off consumers.”

Sam B.: “They just want more money.

People are too greedy,”

Imani Keyes: “(The internet) is supposed to be a place where you can go and say what you want to say and look up what you want to look up. In the end you’re just gonna have people that rebel.”

Chadrick Sene: “I’ve actually never heard about that.”

Cecil Samson: “Well, what I’ve heard is it’s a pretty new thing that came during the Obama administration. I’m not sure if it’s something that’s as big of a deal as people make it out to be.”

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OPINION Starbucks

SYD SAYS

Letting Go

Sydnee Smith Reporter Personally, something I find extremely hard to do is letting go. I feel like being in college I have to grow up and just be an adult. As much as I hate it, I could probably be called uptight at times. I’m so worried about timing of everything and if I go out, if I will have time to do my homework or write my articles for the newspaper.

Earlier in January, I went to a play with my friends and afterward I got super stressed about having to do all my homework in one day. I realized this ties up perfectly with the sacrifice of a social life.

Being an adult doesn’t mean being closed off; it shows I’m trying too hard to be something I’m not.

In all horrible reality I don’t want to grow up and I am convinced no one does. Try to look me dead in my eyes and tell me you want to grow up because I bet you can’t.

It is so funny how, as children, all we want to do is grow up but as an adult all we want to do is be a child. I wish I could go back and straight up slap 6year-old me and tell myself to enjoy my childhood while I had it.

These days I am so focused on all my future plans and how to accomplish goals that I forget a key part of life: having fun. I will advise everyone to just not care even if it's for one day, whether it's the day you have work off or you got a babysitter for the kid, take a day to do whatever you want.

Even if that's just sitting in your car and screaming, go for it.

No one is perfect at adulting and I think we all need to give each other some slack. Everything is probably going to be okay if you just lose it for a minute.

You can never replace memories or experiences and sometimes it's just worth it to make a great memory rather than studying for a test. I’m not saying that it should be an everyday thing, but every once in a while, cut yourself some slack.

For Christmas, my cousin gave me some homemade bath bombs and one month later I had yet to use one. I always said I didn’t have time to dedicate to a relaxing bath, but last week I forgot my responsibilities and took a nice bath and honestly it was worth it. Sometimes it's just about the little things.

The one thing I want to convey is to just let go sometimes. Try and forget about everything weighing you down and do something for yourself.

Go to the movies, to a friend’s or even just take a bath and do a face mask. Don’t let yourself get to a point where you can’t have fun anymore. No one is a perfect adult, so why should we even pretend.

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A Blonde Joke: Starbucks releases a second espresso option Daniel Pollock Editor-in-Chief Starbucks, known (perhaps infamously) for its espresso with undertones of cocoa, charcoal and cardboard, released a second espresso option across the U.S. on Jan. 9—a blonde roast.

The social media reaction was subtle, which is how Starbucks describes the new roast. The website promises a “smooth, packs-a-punch, so-subtle-you-can-drink-it-neat” espresso, but corporations don’t always deliver on promises and with this new roast, Starbucks certainly doesn’t.

A blonde americano tastes almost identical to its older sister: notes of cinnamon, day-old and left out percolator, and overall despair. One barista described the new roast as “fruity.” She wasn’t wrong. If held on the tongue long enough, the roast tastes similar to fruit punch-flavored Gatorade.

The blonde vanilla latte, however, isn’t bad. Partly because the espresso can’t sing above the screaming milk and sugar. Or maybe the barista forgot to add the espresso shots. With the soft blonde roast, it’s impossible to tell. At least with the new roast option, the ‘basic’ subculture can now instagram their coffee and drink it too.

Though new to the U.S., this roast isn’t new to Starbucks. Last year, the blonde option was released in Canada to a reportedly warm reception. But Canadians are known for being kind.

To be fair, Starbucks did choose a good shade of yellow to announce the new espresso option—in-store Starbucks customers are now greeted by an Ikea-like yellow advertisement where once was the menu.

Unlike past menu options (such as the unicorn frappuccino), the blonde roast is here to stay. The weak social media response was probably not a

fluke. Starbucks has proven they have a stellar marketing team. It’s among the few chain restaurants which have seen growth in the past two years—no surprise there.

Starbucks is an accessory for the ‘basic,’ a life-saver for ‘hot mess’ and a convenience for the business person—it is, like it or not, a defining player in our modern food culture. Gift cards are in every gift exchange, Starbucks is the first suggested meeting place and the Starbucks run is one of the first moments of freedom for the newlylicensed driver.

Actually, Starbucks seems to have reached even beyond food-culture. It’s a lifestyle, a status.

But, why? Maybe it’s the convenience—there always seems to be a store two minutes away. Maybe it’s the culture—everyone loves wannabe-hipsters. Or, maybe it’s the coffee.

Ha.

Students identify as different race to gain college acceptance letters Quintessa Waud Online/Social Media Manager In an environment where admission to universities can be extremely competitive, some students are taking advantage of an often overlooked piece of the application—their race.

High SAT scores, a perfect GPA and stellar letters of recommendation are accolades high-achieving students hope to have on their applications. But the race that one identifies as may also bear great importance.

Many students in the U.S. have considered, and even acted upon, misidentifying their races because they believe it will benefit them in admissions. A quick Google search on the topic reveals hundreds of forums where students discuss how and why they chose races other than their own on their applications.

The topic appears to be particularly significant regarding Asian-American students. A Princeton University study in 2004 that assigned an SAT point value to students based upon their races revealed some surprising statistics.

The study found that Asian Ameri-

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can students would have to score 140 points higher on their SAT than their white counterparts in order to receive the same chance of admission. When compared to Hispanic students, they had to earn 270 points higher, and when compared to black students, the number rose to a staggering 450 points higher.

In 2014, a lawsuit was filed against Harvard University alleging that officials enforce a cap on the number of Asian-American students it admits per school year. This was partially due to the fact that the number of admitted Asian-American students was lower in 2014 than it was 20 years prior, even though the number of qualified Asian applicants nearly doubled in that time.

Why is this? Many people believe that affirmative action positively impacts all racial minorities, but these cases suggest otherwise. The idea is that Asian-American students are not being judged against the entire pool of applicants, but only against the pool of other high-achieving Asian students.

This leaves less room for them than white applicants.

This results in many Asian-American students identifying as other races on their college applications, or not choosing a race at all.

Some believe that a way to remedy these issues is to abolish affirmative action altogether. However, it has been suggested that this may do more harm than good.

Research published in 2015 examined six states where affirmative action was banned or greatly reduced, including Washington. After analyzing data on 19 years of medical school admissions, the study found that “following these bans, underrepresented students of color at public medical schools dropped by about 3.2 percentage points.”

Numbers like these can be troubling, especially when considering gaps of diversity in fields such as healthcare.

But in the modern world, is affirmative action still a relevant measure of diversity in higher education when some students are outsmarting the application by misidentifying themselves?

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Flu outbreak infects Pierce campus, local community

good amount of sleep.”

Swanson is back at school and The winter flu has hit Pierce is slowly making a recovery.

College.

Pierce student Evan Upchurch Pierce College officials sent an also had to miss a few days of email on Jan. 10 warning students classes. and faculty of the influenza outHe woke up one Sunday mornbreak. ing, vomiting. He was unable to “To prevent flu outbreaks both get out of bed for the following personally and with your work two days and suffered a fever. group, health professionals rec“My head felt like warm ommend that you get a flu shot, soup,” Upchurch said, referring wash your hands frequently, to his fever. cover coughs and sneezes, and Upchurch said missing class stay home if you are sick,” the was horrible, and it took him email said. three days to recover. He believes There have also been reports he caught the Norovirus, a stomof the Norovirus circulating ach illness that causes vomiting Pierce College Puyallup and and diarrhea.

Pierce County, as stated in the This season’s influenza outemail. break has “I went to Good Samaritan Some protaken over fessors have Hospital I waited like an hour the continennoticed stutal United dents have and half to be seen, it was also States, being been missing midnight and the emergency the first outclass at a break to higher rate cover the room was packed.” than averentirety of age.

U.S., - Zakarih Swanson, Pierce student the Professor excluding Raj Lal has noticed five or six Hawaii, officials say. students in the past week missing Flu activity varies season to class. season, some more severe than Lal mentioned they’ve barely others. missed any classes, and suspects This 2017-2018 season, the it could be due to the flu. Howev- strain influenza A(H3N2) has er, he isn’t sure. been detected worldwide and has Pierce student Zakarih Swan- been most frequently identified. son was absent two days this “It’s looking a lot like the quarter due to contracting the flu. activity from 2014-2015 and “I went to Good Samaritan from 2012-2013,” Dan Jernigan, Hospital. I waited like an hour and director of the Influenza Division half to be seen. It was also mid- in the National Center for Immunight and the emergency room nization and Respiratory Diswas packed,” Swanson said. eases, said in a CDC interview.

Although Swanson fell behind “Both of those seasons were seaon some assignments he was able sons where the strain H3N2 was to sort things out with his profes- the predominant strain, a strain sors. He is grateful for their sup- that’s going to be associated with port. more cases and it’s going to be “All my professors were really associated with more hospitalizaunderstanding and seemed gen- tions, and it is associated with uinely concerned.

Nathalie more deaths.”

The Washington state influen(Tomaszewski) even hugged me when I came back,” Swanson said. za update from the Washington Swanson sought medical help state Department of Health has in the early stages of his illness, verified 86 lab-confirmed deaths which enabled him to recover for the 2017-2018 reports. smoothly.

According to the CDC, 30 “I’ve had the flu before and deaths from September to Januthis time felt no different, I know ary have occurred in children some people have had more seri- across infected areas. ous cases so I think I'm lucky,” The flu has reached its peak Swanson said. “I'm feeling better, this month in Spokane County, as the doctor just recommended that recorded from the Washington I drink lots of water and get a state influenza update. Since SepDana Montevideo & Nyandeng Mal Managing Editor and Reporter

Continued from page 12 In September 2017, the USDA SNAP data for the state of Washington showed that the states benefit for SNAP was actually down 5.7 percent from the year before.

More localized data is harder to come by, but based on the census data from 2011, 15 percent of Pierce County households were food insecure and 18 percent were receiving SNAP benefits that year.

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tember, 335 lab-confirmed hospitalizations have occurred in that area.

The Washington state DOH recommends that everyone get a flu shot this season if they have not yet.

“Each year, the strains included in the vaccine are based on the flu activity across the world. This year’s vaccine is available in the trivalent and quadrivalent forms.

The trivalent will include three vaccine strains: H1N1 and H3N2, which are both A strains, and B Victoria. The quadrivalent vaccine will include the three strains in the trivalent vaccine as well as the B Yamagata strain,” Dipali Pathak, assistant director of communications, wrote for Baylor College of Medicine at the start of the flu season.

However, officials recommend avoiding the nasal spray vaccine, as they are concerned about its effectiveness. The less-effective flu vaccine this season has resulted in a large population showing up to hospitals with symptoms.

“In addition to being associated with increased severity, H3N2 seasons also are associated with vaccine effectiveness that is lower than what we usually see against H1NI or influenza B viruses,” Jernigan said.

Jernigan reported that in the week of Jan. 12 there had been 22.7 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. In comparison to the week before, 13.7 hospitalizations, it has almost doubled.

“Flu seasons every year are bad so there’s never a mild flu season,” Jernigan said. “This season is on that more severe side.

We don’t know exactly where it’s going to end up, but the indicators from 2014-2015, we have not quite reached those yet, but it’s going to be — this is a bad flu season.”

Hospitalizations have been most common among adults over 65 and also in adults ranging from 50-60. Children are also to be kept a close eye on, as they are similarly susceptible to the virus.

Symptoms of the flu include difficulty breathing, pain or pressure to the chest, sudden dizziness, confusion, persistent vomiting and a fever paired with sore throat or cough. Officials recommend staying home if anyone experiences these symptoms.

drives and donating time and money to help food banks fuel their workforce, seeing how the majority of local food banks are run by volunteers.

41,204,000 Washingtonians are struggling with putting food on their table tonight. One of those people could be your neighbor.

Every bit helps in the uphill struggle to end hunger in America, and as we head forward in 2018, Americans can all do their part to end this epidemic.

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SHOUTOUT

Sydnee Smith

Would you ever identify as another race to increase your chances of getting into a college?

Sonia Nayemi: “Yes, so I can get into college because if I say I’m from Pakistan they’ll think I might blow up the school.”

Joshua Crossen: “If I’m applying to Harvard, yeah.”

Shenaya Birkel: “No, because I’m white and that would be really weird.”

Emily Skaggs-Berry: “No, I feel like that's a weird question.”

Isabelle Sumandig-Tajalle: “No, because I value integrity. I don’t feel like you need to be a different race, take pride in your race, it's not about being someone you’re not.”

Kaitlyn Mallory: “I wouldn’t because it’s a bad thing to do and it’s lying on a college application.”

Natalia Ross: “I wouldn’t actually do it because I’m an honest and genuine person. If you got in I feel like you’re being accepted for the wrong reason.”

Jordan Vaughan: “No, because if that is true I probably have the more selected race anyway.”

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